The Trinity Bantams won their first-ever NESCAC men's basketball championship on Sunday, defeating the Bowdoin Polar Bears 74-55 and thus earning an automatic NCAA berth.
The game remained close throughout the first half before Trinity went on an 11-4 run early in the second half to stretch its lead to 11. With 10 minutes remaining in the game, the Bantams held a 20-point advantage, and they never looked back. Trinity cruised to the title behind the strength of senior guard Patrick Hasiuk, who went 4-for-6 from three-point range and finished the game with 19 points. Three other Bantams also contributed double-digit scoring.
Bowdoin advanced to the finals with a thrilling 65-64 semifinal win over Amherst on Saturday, denying the Lord Jeffs an opportunity to compete for the championship on their home court. It was Amherst's first home loss since Feb. 25, 2007. It was an outstanding team effort from the Polar Bears, who had four players scoring in double digits, led by junior forward Kyle Jackson, who finished the game with 18 points and six rebounds.
In the other semifinal, Trinity beat Middlebury 72-63. Middlebury took a 52-51 lead with 6:18 remaining on the clock, but the Bantams quickly recovered and hit their free throws down the stretch to secure the victory. Senior tri-captain Robert Taylor led the Bantams' attack with 22 points while Hasiuk backed him up with 19. The Bantams held off several late runs by the Panthers with some clutch free-throw shooting to secure the victory and finals bid.
The quarterfinals of the NESCAC Tournament in men's hockey, held on Saturday, saw a variety of blowouts, tight games and upsets.
The biggest story was No. 6 Trinity's 5-2 upset of No. 3 Bowdoin. Trinity freshman goalie Wesley Vesprini was a barrier that the Polar Bears could not penetrate, as he made a career high 36 saves of 38 shots, a .947 save percentage. The win for the Bantams avenged three consecutive prior losses to Bowdoin in the NESCAC Tournament.
No. 4 Amherst held off No. 5 Conn. College in a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory. The winning goal was scored just over two minutes into the extra period by senior defenseman Michael McIntosh. The win was number 300 for Amherst coach Jack Arena.
The No. 1 Colby Mules held true to their seed with a 4-1 triumph over the No. 8 Wesleyan Cardinals, thanks in part to a goal and an assist from senior forward Josh Reber.
To the west, the No. 2 Middlebury Panthers took down No. 7 Williams in convincing fashion, 6-0. Solid goaltending proved paramount to the Panthers' success. However, the Ephs were unable to pose much of a threat offensively. Fourteen saves from Middlebury senior goalie Ross Cherry gave him his first shutout of the season.
Next Saturday, Colby will host Trinity and Middlebury will host Amherst in semifinal action. The finals will be held the next day at the home of the higher- seeded team.
